Event

Annual Historic Home Tour Weekend

Commemorate SOHO's 45th anniversary by supporting the weekend events. Beginning on Friday evening, June 6 with the Annual People In Preservation Awards, on Saturday June 7 there will be three architectural walking tours, and on Sunday, June 8 the Historic Home Tour will showcase five of North Park's great historic houses.

The historic Sunset Temple will be our venue this year, and if you have never been to this speakeasy style locale you are in for a treat. Celebrate and pay tribute to those who embody the best in preservation in San Diego County.

The PIP awards are an opportunity for fellow San Diegans to recognize the efforts of the work that property owners do in preserving the historic resources of our region. People In Preservation encourages historic preservation and acknowledges that good preservation can be found in the restoration of the most modest residence to the grandest mansion, from our earliest structures to mid-century contributions, and includes both the private and the public sector.

Tickets include a reception with hors d'oeuvres, wine and local North Park craft beer before the awards ceremony.

Three Walking Tours - Saturday, June 7 | 9am | 11am | 1pm$10 SOHO & NPHS members - $15 Non-membersThree 90-minute walking tours will benefit the North Park Historical Society, our community partners this year. Limited admissions make for quality tours, so buy your tickets in advance. Tours are led by the researchers and creators of the tours. All walking tours are of exteriors only.

Streetcar Suburb at Hamilton Walking TourThis approximately 1-mile guided walking tour highlights both residential and commercial architecture, including the 1927 Tudor Revival McClure House, a 1921 apartment court, and the Cadillac Apartments, constructed in 1925 of bricks made locally in Rose Canyon. The original location and purpose of the popular Carnitas Snack Shack restaurant building will be revealed and the iconic Water Tower, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013, is also on the tour.

The streetcar on the #7 line did not stop at every corner along University Avenue, but it did stop just west of Hamilton Street where heavy foot traffic made it an ideal place for stores and offices to set up shop here. The stop at Hamilton Street became the center of a new working class neighborhood where residents could walk quickly to the streetcar. The area provided a range of homes, from California Bungalows on separate lots to bungalow courts and apartments. Streetcar suburbs like this one were how San Diego grew in the early part of the 20th Century. A guidebook is included with the tour.

Dryden Historic District Walking TourThe six-block neighborhood along 28th Street and Pershing Avenue from Upas to Landis Streets was designated as the North Park Dryden Historic District in 2011. On this 1-mile stroll, guides will discuss the variety of architectural styles represented in the neighborhood. This area developed from 1912 to 1941, with most homes being completed by the 1920s. The included guidebook highlights 30 homes, many built by Master Builder David Owen Dryden.

Morley Field Walking TourThis tour covers more than a dozen sites of interest on a 1.5-mile loop within the Morley Field Recreation Area. Long considered North Park's backyard, the eastern mesa of Balboa Park encompasses lush green lawns, towering eucalyptus trees, and multiple active recreational facilities, including tennis courts, softball fields, a disc golf course, bicycle velodrome, swimming pool, and archery range. The area was named for John G. Morley, who was Superintendent of Parks for the City of San Diego from 1911 to 1938. Architectural highlights include the 1933 Bud Kearns Memorial pool building designed by Herman Louis Bodmer, who worked for William Templeton Johnson in 1926 and opened his own firm in 1930, and the 1960s tennis clubhouse designed by Sim Bruce Richards, a prominent San Diego architect who is on the city's list of master architects.

The Historic Home Tour - Sunday, June 8 | 11am-4pm$30 SOHO & NPHS members - $40 Non-membersTour the interiors of seven historic houses in North Park. The self-driven tour features homes with an exciting diversity of architectural styles ranging from a 1916 Prairie School with Mission Revival influences and a 1916 David Owen Dryden classic two-story Craftsman, to a 1924 Mission Revival with a rare brick-clad exterior. North Park is home to one of San Diego's finest historic Main Streets as well as a rich and vibrant community of bungalows and Craftsman homes highlighted by the recently approved Dryden Historic District and grand Spanish Revival homes bordering Morley Field. Historic homes by master builders David Owen Dryden, Alexander Schreiber and Edward F. Bryans, and a Richard Requa, architect for the 1935 Expo, are just a few of the seven homes that visitors will tour this year. This year's historic home tour is a must see for architectural lovers!

The Annual Historic Home Tour Weekend is an important fundraiser for SOHO. Funds raised benefit SOHO's work of promoting preservation of the architectural, cultural, and historical links and landmarks that contribute to the community identity, depth and character of the San Diego region.

- A tour booklet accompanies each ticket purchase, which includes a map and histories of each home.- Carpooling is always strongly encouraged